Laravel Runner – Laravel Code Runner & Tinker for VS Code

Run and debug Laravel / PHP code with one click — right inside VS Code.

Run Laravel code in VS Code – Laravel Runner demo

⚡ Quick Start – Use the built-in Laravel Runner: Install command

Open the Command Palette: Ctrl + Shift + P
Type Laravel Runner and select Laravel Runner: Install. This generates a ready-to-run .playground/hello.php file to get you started instantly.
Just hit ▶ Run PHP File (Laravel Runner) or press Ctrl + Alt + R to see color-coded output in the sidebar.

Key Features

⚡ One-click execution – Press Ctrl+Alt+R or click ▶ Run PHP File (Laravel Runner).
🎨 Color-coded output – Errors, dumps, and logs are syntax-highlighted for instant readability.
🔍 Searchable logs – Instantly highlight matches as you type — even across long output.
🛑 Stop button – Hung or runaway script? Instantly cancel with a click.
💡 IntelliSense & linting – Real .php files with full support from Intelephense, CS Fixer, snippets, and more.
🧘 Smart activation – Only loads inside Laravel projects (auto-detects artisan).
🌍 Cross-platform – Works on macOS, Linux, Windows, WSL, and remote SSH.

Visual Tour – Laravel Runner in Action

Color-Coded Output Panel

Tailored colors for code results, errors, and logs—see issues at a glance.

Laravel Runner autocomplete with Laravel model and IntelliSense in VS Code

Color-coded Laravel output panel showing echo, log, and exception

Live Search & Highlight

Live search to jump to variables or values inside long outputs. As you type, matches are instantly highlighted — even across multiple lines.

Laravel Runner live search highlighting in output panel

Stop Hung Scripts Instantly

Hit the stop button (in red) or Stop PHP File (at the top of file) to kill runaway loops or stuck processes — no need to restart VS Code or kill terminals.

Laravel Runner stop button cancels long-running PHP script

IntelliSense & Autocomplete

Real .php files mean you get full IntelliSense, autocompletion, linting, and Copilot suggestions—powered by your existing PHP extensions like Intelephense or CS Fixer.

Laravel Runner autocomplete with Laravel model and IntelliSense in VS Code

Settings & Configuration

Change the folder where PHP files live or choose whether output should persist across runs.
Settings > Extensions > Laravel Runner:

Laravel Runner settings in VS Code: playground folder and append output

Quick answers

Question	Answer
Will it touch my DB?	Only if your code tells it to—safe by default.
Run on macOS / Linux / Windows?	Yep! Fully supports all platforms, including WSL and remote SSH.
Got an error?	Open an issue on GitHub.

Support the Project

If Laravel Runner saves you time, please:

Happy tinkering! 🛠️

Laravel Runner

Ali Raza Saleem